fQaroundtown: Hats, Hats and throw in a cell phone

Friday, March 23, 2007

Hats, Hats and throw in a cell phone

Last Night I Dreant I had..., Suzanne Carlson and Kate Jackson on display at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre

Product versus Art, not to mention delivery system. In the past three weeks I have been to see half a dozen shows and seen the work of approximately 75 artist and craft practitioners professional and student. I am giving you a quick tour, and will have more to say later. At the moment I am attending the Mobile Nation Conference at the Ontario College of Art and Design, well not at this exact moment day one has finished. It isn’t necessarily something I would be instantly drawn to but so far it has been intriguing and entertaining.

Tomorrow, Saturday March 24 there is a presentation that I am very interested in.

Theme: Pervasive and Social Computing, Immanence, Affect and Critical Engagement.

Electronic Textiles, Reactive Garments and Architectural Fabrics: sensing, affect, memory and movement:

Moderator; Sara Diamond, president of OCAD

Electronic Textiles, Reactive Garments: Joanna Berzowska Assistant Professor of Design and Computation Arts at Concordia University

From Bazaar to Space Architecture: Filiz Klassen, Associate Professor, Ryerson

Did I say this was an Academic conference, it is, and it is being Blogged almost live so if you wish to read about what is happening click here http://www.mobilenation.ca/blog/

Mending Mother Earth # 2 Mary Kroetsh

Meanwhile what I have seen (and you still can on line at least ) were the numerous works on display at The World of Threads Festival in Oakville at the end of February at venues scattered around town with the bulk of work at Sheridan Trafalgar Road Campus there were a dozen showcases with cluster of work from local guilds in Guilded Threads , a hallway of student work “New Directions New Ideas” and the annual juried show Common Threads (click here to view slide show) There was a historical display of World War 1 from the collection of Liz Benneian. This is the first time exhibited. “Threads of Remembrance”

The exhibitions continued downtown in three different locations Confluence: Streams & Strands Textile Art by Jane Coryell, Ruth Luginbuehl, and Lorraine Roy which I missed was at the Abbozzo Gallery 179 Lakeshore Road W, Oakville. Another historical exhibition Old, New, Borrowed, Blue: 150 Years of Wedding Attire at the Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate, 8 Navy Street, Oakville which will be running until September 30, 2007 The work from Fibre Arts Studio “fibre Elements” remains at Ristorante Julia, 312 Lakeshore Road E, Oakville until May 1^st.

Fibre Arts Studio is a group of Ontario artist whom like Fibre Arts Network from the west and Connections which has become an international group, all seem to be groups of textile artist who have come together to work in ways that go beyond the more contemporary guilds that have specific focus: Quilting, Weaving or Embroidery. These three groups independently have group exhibitions and encourage information exchange and a more multi - disciplinary/ technique/ approach to their work as artist rather then craft practitioners. They work to present exhibitions in profession gallery or museum that do not usually show textiles or bring a more professional approach to exhibiting in Alternative spaces such as restaurants and bars. They operate outside of “craft fairs” or out door shows with a flea market/country fair feel to them and attempt to raise the bar..